From the beginning of the industrial revolution, communities and regions have sought to gain economic advantage, in part by ensuring that firms in their jurisdiction become more productive and innovative, but also in part by trying to gain advantage over neighboring jurisdictions with which they trade. For example, after World War II, U.S. states began to compete against each other for jobs, while European nations competed internally. As global economic integration has become much more widespread, the scope of economic competition has further broadened. What happens in China affects what happens in California and vice versa.The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation